MISS PICKEL'S PICKS

This was the perfect mystery for me to read on a winter night: even though it's the ideal summer read, packed with long, hot days and secrets simmering under the sun, it was the perfect escape for me from the cold. Kaylani is spending the summer in the wealthy, historic community of Martha’s Vineyard. She’s been learning about the law to help her father, who is in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. She really wants to stay in Brooklyn to help her dad, but her parents want her to have a fun summer, so they send her to stay with family friends on Cape Cod. It isn’t a fun summer for Kaylani, though, because she’s stuck living with two snobby girls who don’t want anything to do with her.  While Kaylani is adjusting to life in this wealthy vacation community, a popular teen is found dead under suspicious circumstances and she can’t help digging deeper into what really happened. Her investigation takes her beneath the polished surface of Martha’s Vineyard, uncovering secrets, surprisin...

  I absolutely love funny books and I think my favorite comedy writer is Gordon Korman. Every time I read one of his novels I end up laughing out loud at almost every page. My favorite Gordon Korman book has been Restart , which is about a bully who gets amnesia and can’t figure out why he was so mean to people. Ms Fair ordered a few of Korman’s books for us this fall and the first one I picked up is Slacker . I can be very lazy, so I figured this would be the perfect book for me! The other thing that drew me in was the cover image of a beaver reclining with a game controller and a bowl of Doritos. The book more than lived up to its cover; Slacker is now my favorite Gordon Korman book! Slacker follows Cam, who thinks he has perfected the art of slacking. He does just well enough in school that he can slide under the radar and he can focus on what’s really important: playing his video game with his friends. But when the fire department ends up on his doorstep because he ignored his ...

  I always avoided playing Scrabble when I was a kid because I never wanted to think that much when I was playing a game! Recently, though, I’ve started playing again and I’m actually enjoying it—I feel like it’s really good exercise for my brain. So I was so excited when I saw Queen of the Tiles , since it’s a mystery set at a Scrabble tournament. The book totally grabbed me right from the first page. Every chapter starts with a word, the number of points it’s worth in Scrabble, and its definition. It’s so cool because the chapter word always connects to what happens in that section; for example, Chapter One’s word is prolegomenon , which means an introduction. Most of them are words I’d never seen before, and even though I probably won’t remember any of them the next time I play, it was still so fun to learn them as I read! Queen of the Tiles follows Najwa, whose best friend—and reigning Scrabble queen—Trina, died suddenly at last year’s tournament. Najwa has spent the year sin...

I read   The Doomsday Detectives by Cindy Jenson-Elliott because I wanted to try some nonfiction books this November, and it turned out to be such an interesting read. The book explains how scientists have tried to solve one of the biggest mysteries in Earth’s history: what really happened to the dinosaurs. It follows a father-son science team, Luis and Walter Alvarez, as they study rocks, fossils, and strange clues that help them uncover the now-famous asteroid impact theory. It’s written in a way that makes huge scientific ideas easy to understand and fun to follow. My favorite part was seeing how scientists’ ideas changed over time as new tools and technology developed. It really shows that science is about more than just facts — it’s a process of asking questions, making mistakes, and uncovering new evidence. I also loved learning about the Alvarez team and how their partnership helped them solve this giant mystery. If you like real-life science, mysteries, or stories ab...

  I could not wait to read this book because I loved the last book I read by Jodi Meadows, Bye Forever, I Guess . This book was even better! This was the perfect cozy read for November - I curled up with a cup of hot chocolate and flew right through it! First of all, this has to be one of my favorite covers of all time. I need to look the illustrator up to see if she’s worked on any graphic novels! I also loved the storyline and seeing how Virginia, the main character, grows throughout the novel. At the beginning of the book Virginia is part of the popular clique even though she feels like she has to hide parts of herself to stay in it, like the fact that she adores volunteering at the library and has a crush on Grayson Jennings, who is deemed uncool by Mary Heather, the Queen Bee of the group. When the other girls start teasing Virginia about Grayson in their group chat she says some mean things about him to deflect from the fact that she actually likes him. Then she has a falling...

What if the most legendary kid at school suddenly disappeared...and no one knew where he went? Ms Fair recommended The Next Great Paulie Fink to me and I'm so glad she did - it's become one of my favorite books! It's about Caitlyn, who transfers to this tiny, unusual middle school where all anyone can talk about is a former student named Paulie Fink. He was a total legend - someone says he once hosted a secret game show in the hallway and someone else says he trained a goat to do tricks. Now that Paulie's gone, the class decides to hold a reality show style competition to find his replacement. Caitlyn is chosen to be the judge and she starts interviewing students and teachers to figure out what made Paulie so unforgettable. But everyone has a different version of who Paulie was and Caitlyn starts to realize just how unique every person truly is. This book is hilarious, full of great characters, and has a lot of heart. It reminded me of some of my favorite Gordon Korman ...

  The popular clique at Claflin Academy made a pact that they would each apply to a different Ivy League school. On early decision day Olivia, the main character, is surprised to learn that Emma secretly applied to Harvard, which was supposed to be reserved for Avery, the Queen Bee of the group. The next day Emma is found dead and Olivia, who had also secretly applied to Harvard, starts to investigate her death. Making things more complicated, Olivia and Emma both get into Harvard, but Avery doesn't. This is my favorite genre blend - a mystery/thriller set at a boarding school with a Gossip Girls/Mean Girls vibe. This book has it all: a protagonist worth rooting for, a mystery filled with red herrings, and a super fast pace. I highly recommend it!